Bleeding Blues
by moviefreak1
Summary: set not long after the beginning of space. Cassie finds TJ in the simudeck and tries to help her friend with some personal issues.


Disclaimer: I own nothing. This idea came to me while watching Power Rangers In Space on Netflix. I've seen this idea done with Jason and Tommy but I thought I'd give my own spin on things. Time Period: about two weeks after the rangers meet Andros.

Bleeding Blues

Cassie tossed and turned in her bed in the Astromegaship. As tired as she was, she could not force herself to fall asleep. Each night for the past week it had been the same battle. A mix of school, getting used to new ranger powers, living on the ship instead of Earth, meeting Andros, it all seemed to drain her throughout each day. Yet every night, as soon as she laid down, the tired feeling would vanish. There was something else that kept Cassie awake at night, but it always stayed just outside of her consciousness. Cassie knew something was wrong, she just couldn't figure out what "it" was. Eventually giving up on the idea that sleep would eventually find its way to her, Cassie quietly got out of bed and made her way to the bridge.

While Cassie knew she could view the stars from her own room, the view was remarkably better from the bridge. As she reached the bridge fully expecting to see the vast array of stars the galaxy had to offer, she was taken by surprise to not only not see the stars, but to find herself at Angel Grove lake. It took only a few moments for her to realize that she wasn't the only one currently awake at that late hour. One of the other rangers was apparently sleep deprived as well and had activated the simu-deck. As she looked around, she tried to find any clues as to which of her teammates had been the one to activate it. As she walked along the bank of the lake, she saw a red jacket laid out on the ground. She knew that jacket quite well.

It was a gift that she had given TJ not long after he took the turbo powers from Tommy. While Carlos and Ashley had briefly known each other before accepting the powers, having had a few classes together at Angel Grove High School, Cassie and TJ only had a short bus ride to get acquainted. Not long after the power transfer,  
Cassie and TJ had gone out, not exactly on a date, but it was more than just hanging out and getting to know each other. Ever since that evening Cassie could never quite put a title to her and TJ's relationship. Was it friends? Was it more? Cassie knew she had been attracted to TJ and TJ had repeatedly told her how beautiful she was, but it never went beyond that. Then the Phantom Ranger had shown up and TJ never gave any indication of jealousy, a fact which actually had irritated Cassie more than anything.

Cassie picked up the jacket and started walking to another part of the lake, she eventually found TJ sitting at the edge of a rock formation over looking the water.  
Slowly, as to not disturb him, Cassie walked up behind him and sat down.

"TJ?"

"Yeah Cassie?" TJ replied without looking at her.

"Why are you still awake? It's late."

"Can't sleep. Got too much on y mind."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know if you'd believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

When Cassie realized he wasn't going to talk she pressed on.

"Why the lake?"

"Always seemed like a peaceful place to sort out thoughts."

"What's with the jacket? I didn't even know you still had it."

"Why wouldn't I? you gave it to me. I picked it up from my house the last time we went home. It's a reminder."

"Of what?"

"Simpler times. Every time I look at it I'm reminded of you, and then I'm reminded that I don't get to wear this anymore."

The bitterness in that last sentence was not lost on Cassie.

"You're mad that you're blue now?"

"I wouldn't say mad, envious would be a better way to put it."

To say Cassie was shocked would be an understatement. Never had she ever thought of or heard of TJ being the jealous type.

"You're jealous that you're blue? Jealous of Andros?"

"It's not even that. Tommy hand picked me to be the red turbo ranger, to lead you guys in to battle. To be the 'leader' was something I took very seriously, and look what happened. Under my 'leadership' the power chamber was destroyed. We lost our powers and basically had to hijack a shuttle and try and search the galaxy blind. if the megaship hadn't pulled us in who knows what would have happened to us and it would have been my fault. I'm glad Andros is starting to trust us and let us on the team, but I'd be lying if I said I don't get a shot of jealousy every time I see him in red. I'm proud to wear blue, but there's a part of me that wishes I was still red. There's a part of me that thinks I failed as a red ranger. I failed Zordon, Demetria, Tommy, Carlos, Ashley, Justin, and the one that guts me the most is the thought that I failed you."

"But TJ, you didn't fail anyone. The events leading up to the power chamber being destroyed were out of your control. We were incredibly outnumbered. Have you ever wondered why none of us questioned you wen you said we needed to chase Divatox?

TJ just shook his head no.

"It was because you are our leader. You lead, we follow."

"WAS your leader. Andros is the leader now."

"Andros wears red, yes, but TJ you have to realize something very important."

"What's that?"

"Andros has been up here fighting this fight for many years. He had his own team and now he's the only one left. he has the experience on us, but he hasn't lead a 'team' in a long time. he was the leader of his team, just as you are the leader of our team. It's going to take Andros a long time to fully trust us, but even he knows that Ashley, Carlos, and I trust you. That's why he goes to you. Using your leadership abilities, Andros is slowly learning to trust us. We need to be a team to defeat Dark Spectre otherwise we are as good as dead. You may not wear red anymore, but Andros sees your leadership abilities that you have. That's why he views you as his equal. Maybe in time he will see the rest of us like that and when he does, that's when we will win this war. Juts because you wear blue now,  
that doesn't mean you're any less important to this team than when you were wearing red. And TJ?"

"Yeah?" TJ asked as he slowly turned his gaze from the water to Cassies deep brown eyes.

"No matter what color ranger suit you happen to be wearing, I will always consider you my leader. I will travel to any star, any planet with you because I trust you with every ounce of being that I have. I've never trusted anyone more than I do you and that won't change. Red ranger or not. Goodnight TJ."

As she said goodnight, Cassie leaned over and gave TJ a soft kiss on the cheek and got up to leave the 'lake'. TJ sat there for a little while longer before gathering his things.

"DECA end simulation."

At the command the lake disappeared and in it's place was the bridge of the megaship. Slowly lifting his hand to his cheek where Cassie had kissed him, he started to smile.

"Goodnight Cassie." He whispered.

In a louder voice he bid the onboard computer a farewell.

"Goodnight DECA."

"Goodnight TJ. Get some rest."

"I Think I will tonight for once."

The End 


End file.
